Tiger Woods opens up on playing future for first time since accident

Tiger Woods has revealed he thought he would lose his leg after his February car accident and has declared his playing intentions for the future.

Tiger Woods doesn’t expect to be a competitive golfer again. Picture: Mladen Antonov / AFP

Tiger Woods has admitted he’ll never be a full-time golfer again and, while he wants to play competitive golf, has all but conceded his time at the highest level is over.

The 15-time major champion set the golfing world abuzz with a three-second video of him hitting balls last week.

It was the first footage of Woods playing since a serious car accident in February and was viewed more than seven million times.

But in his first major interview since that car accident left him with serious leg injuries and fearing he would lose a leg, Woods said the best he could hope for in a playing return would be to “pick and choose” a few events each year.

“I think something that is realistic is playing the Tour one day – never full time ever again – but pick and choose, just like Mr (Ben) Hogan did,” Woods said during a Zoom interview with Golf Digest.

”Pick and choose a few events a year and you play around that.

“You practise around that and you gear yourself up for that. I think that‘s how I’m going to have to play it from now on. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s my reality. And I understand it and I accept it.”

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

Despite the sobering reality of his golfing future, Woods has come a long way from those initial days lying in a hospital bed, fearing the absolute worst.

“There was a point in time when, I wouldn’t say it was 50/50, but it was damn near there if I was going to walk out of that hospital with one leg,” he said.

”Once I kept it, I wanted to test and see if I still had my hands. So even in the hospital, I would have (his girlfriend) Erica … throw me something. Throw me anything.”

Tiger Woods’ car after the accident that nearly cost him his leg. Picture: Frederic J. Brown / AFP

Woods said he had already climbed ”Mount Everest” by winning the 2019 Masters after having serious surgery on his back; surgery he thought would end his career.

He said that changed his focus and he no longer needed to constantly compete at the highest level to have a “good life”.

“I don’t have to compete and play against the best players in the world to have a great life,” he said.

”After my back fusion, I had to climb Mount Everest one more time. I had to do it and I did. This time around, I don’t think I’ll have the body to climb Mount Everest and that’s OK.

“I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there.

“But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation of me.”

You probably won’t see Tiger Woods celebrating like this again. Picture: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images North America / AFP